Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-10-20
cHATSwORTH RIvALED.
Story Of the Collision on the Chicago
and Atlantic Railroad at
Kouts, Ind.
The Blame for the Wreck Lies Be.
tween the Crews OF the Two
Trains.
Especial telegram from KOuts. Ind

Especial telegram from Kouts, Ind.l
The worst horrors of Chatsworth were
duplicated here Tuesday. A dozen blood
stained, smoke-begrimed, injured victims
Of railroad carelessness or blundering were
brought into the villages little station
house, and nine cbarred corpses, victims
OF the same laundering or carelessness,
were laid upon the station platform, while
three miles west, down the track of the
Chicago and Atlantic Railway, near a
lonely old water tank, piles of fearfully
tangled debris marked the spot where COL
lision seldom equaled for terrible results
had occurred.
Boone Grove consists of station build
ing and simple little store. 1t is forty
nine miles out OF Chicago on the Chicago
and Atlantic road. The roadbed enters on
heavy down grade, which runs two and a
half miles west of the State ditch. On the
north of the track is large water tank.
The country thereabouis is wide prairie,
relieved but infrequently by sparse growths
OF stunted trees. There is no habitation
within mile of the water tank, immedi-
ately in front Of which Tuesdays terrible
accident occurred. Conductor Parks was
IN charge of the train when il left Chicago.
The train proceeded without accident to
Hulbert's, six and one-half miles west of
the scene Of the accident There one Of
the eccentric straps OF engine rs broke, and
Engineer Barney Connors disconnected one
side of the engine and ran, as iI is termed
In railway parlance. -on one leg," or with
only one piston rod. He pulled his engine
into Boone Grove thus crippled. He tele-
graphed tidings of the accident to Hunt
ington and then resumed his run, with half
force. He passed the water tank on the
prairie, then reversed his engine and went
back for water. Half a mile back, as a
warning to trains following, stand the
semapbore lights, which were properly
turned.
of refrigator- cars laden with dressed beef
and fruits left Chicago. 1t was due at
Boone Grove at 1908 o'clock. John Dor
sey, the engineer, had instructions to rush
through" The night was heavy and foggy
as he pulled out of Boone Grove a few
minutes late and started down the steep
grade, unmindful of any danger until he
had passed under the semaphore lights and
caught sudden glimpse of the danger
signals dangling from the rear of the pas
senger train. He reversed the engine,
sounding several piercing blasts OF warn
ing which sent the trainmen scurrying over
the cars to set the brakes. But the i'm
petus OF the heavy train was beyond such
trifiing control. The engineer and fireman
jumped for their lives only few seconds
before the engine crashed through the Pull
man sleeper.
The passenger train was driven its own
length ahead and then the rear coach forced
its way through aud on top Of the aches
in front. The freight engine was wrecked
entirely. Its tender was thrown over the
an9ina and onto ahA ooanhOs. while eighteen
0frsfr okr axfer
the track or piled in On indescribable mass
-one within the debris of another. Dressed
beef sufficient to feed an army was scatter
ed in the adjacent fields, while fruits lay
about as plentiful as though rich orchards
had yielded their bounty 10 the earth and
been spirited away.
The ready and dangerous stove in the
second coach responded at once to the
deafening invitation the crash of the col
lision offered TO join in the wreck of de-
struction and death, for the heavy Pullman
had scarcely settled into position after it's
terrific plunge through the two coaches whom
fire added its horrors 10 the already terrible
scene. All the fatalities were from the
flames, which instantaneously enveloped
the shattered cars.
Conductor Parks, Engineer Connors,
and all the trainmen escaped miraculously,
and Immediately set about the rescue of
the doomed people imprisoned in the
burning wreck. They worked in the faco
of the flames, drawing away from their
grasp all within reach until they were COM
PEELED to desist by the fires dangerous adj
vance. On either side of the tangled
wreckage, reaching out from its midst,
were the heads, arms, or feet of the passen-
gers who begged piteously to be released
before the flames took them in their fatal
embrace. Little Herman Miller was found
under the foremost coach, his arrss cxtend-
ing above his head. Visible through the
splintered timbers were the other members
Of his family, already in the throes of
death from the breath of the hot flames
encircling them. In broken English the
boy begged of those endeavoring to save
him to save his mother and sister. The
boys head was split open, but he retained
his consciousness until he, free himself
from further danger, gazed blck at the
quivering forms of his father, mother, and
sister encircled in flames.
An unknown victim, who was Gagged in
the very center of the debris--a large, pow
erful Inan-made desperate battle for life.
He fought his way from one end Of his
prison to the other end-10O feet away IN
an effort to keep beyond the roach OF the
flames. He tore down the broken fran {
as II tney nau Deen reeus, plunBeu nsdu-
foremost through the litter, or rooted ur
the earth to force his passage from the path
of the flames. As safety was about reached
the flames descended in front of him, liz
inhaled them, and falling, yielded up the
struggle. OF all the victims his form alone
retained any human semblance, for the fire
leaped over the PROSTATE man as If con'en
with victory over so stubborn victim with
out destruction.
The collision is attributed to the care
| lessness Of the engineer of the freigh
train which dashed into the delayed passen-
ger. The freight men, il is said, were
warned to go slow and look out, but j
seems they drove ahead. passed a danger
signal at Boone Grove, and three milet
/ - 4 -. III, Ahn .,nr-nnonr